Quibol in chargeat Cangolf

MANILA, Philippines — Jhondie Quibol bucked a shaky frontside with a gutsy game in the last nine holes as he saved a 72 to seize solo control in the second round of the Canlubang Amateur Open at Cangolf’s South course in Laguna late Thursday.

Tied with Sean Ramos, Ronel Tagaan and Dan Cruz after 18 holes, Quibol dropped off the crowded leaderboard with two bogeys in the first four holes. But the Luisita bet hit two birdies against one more bogey for a 37 then birdied No. 12 and ran out a slew of pars to match par and grab the lead at 145.

As Ramos and Tagaan fumbled with 74s and Cruz limped with a 75, Korean Tim Tae Soo from Orchard took the challenger’s role at 146 by shooting tournament-best 71 spiked by a last-hole birdie.

Ramos, also from Orchard, who ruled this annual event sponsored by the National Golf Association of the Philippines last year, and Tagaan slipped to joint third at 147, just two strokes off Quibol, guaranteeing a wild finish in the event backed by hole-in-one sponsor The Turf Company and Texas Eagle.

Elee Bisera, the low amateur in a recent pro tournament in Davao, carded a 73 to join Ramos and Tagaan at third while Cruz fell to sixth at 148, his 37-38 card marred by five bogeys against two birdies.

Southwoods’ Jung Jae Hyun and Miguel Ilas of Alabang shot identical 75s for 148 and 149, respectively, while Josh Jorge, also of Southwoods, bounced back from a disastrous 78 with a 73 for a 151, still six shots off the new leader.

Meanwhile, Nicole Abelar birdied two of the first three holes and rebounded from a bogey on the fourth and a double-bogey on No. 6 with back-to-back birdies from No. 7 then fought back from another 6 on the par-4 No. 14 with birdies on Nos. 15 and 17 to shoot a 71 and post a two-shot lead over Alabang’s Laurea Duque in women’s play of the event backed by PacSports Phils., Inc., MegaFiber, Bedarra Holdings, Inc. and Aspire by Filinvest and supported by MUST Consultancy and Emdee Chem Marketing Corp.

Duque actually came out better than Abelar in the early going with three birdies in the first four holes. But the young gun bogeyed No. 6 and closed out her frontside stint with a double-bogey for an even 36. She went one-under with another birdie on the par-5 11th but bogeyed two of the last five for a 73.